25/04/2008 - VIR : Only a week after Mexico

The No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola will be piloted by team owner/drive Tracy W. Krohn and Eric van de Poele, who collected their second Top 10 finish at Mexico City. The Rolex 24 At Daytona saw them finish in seventh place and at Homestead they were 12th. They sit eighth in 2008 Daytona Prototype points after three races.

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:

VIR is the first real road course of the season. You have tested the Lola there. Is the VIR circuit a good course for the Lola and why?

I was not at the last test, but I know that we were still learning the car there without real research of performance. The team even didn't use the full track, just the short course, so it's going to be kind of new for the car. We have a few good ideas for this type of track but it is very difficult to evaluate our competitiveness there. The only thing I can tell you, is that the Krohn Racing team is working really hard to be at the front on every track we are going to. What do you like best about the VIR circuit?I like the diversity of the corners, the natural layout with relief, and it is quite narrow. Of course when it is fast and narrow, we really cannot make any mistakes, and it is the key there. I never actually raced there, so it looks like quite difficult to overtake. I just did test days with Cadillac in 2000.

At Mexico City, the new Proto-Auto Lola showed some good success with a podium and Top 10 finish with the two cars. Do you think you have found what you need to have a successful season with the new cars?

The Lola Pontiac has definitely improved since the Daytona test. I still believe that we have a lot more coming and the third place for Ricardo and Nic is not a surprise for me. I know how the team works, and it is obvious that we should continue to improve. The races are other stories but in performance, there is no secret. We need to work to improve and that is what the Krohn Racing team does  they perform without doubt.

Last year Krohn Racing driver Colin Braun captured the pole at VIR and he and Max Papis went on to finish second after a nail-biting battle between Papis and fellow Italian Max Angelelli. Krohn and Jönsson finished in the tenth position. The Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR race will be televised tape delayed on Saturday, May 3rd on SPEED TV at 12:00 noon ET. For more information, please see www.grand-am.com and www.krohnracing.net.